


Bruises

by TheDeviantSentByJericho



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Has Panic Attacks, Bruises, By said victim, Family, Fanfiction of Fanfiction, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Morality | Patton Sanders And Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Are Twins, Oops, Panic Attacks, Patton is mentioned, Self-Blame, Victim Blaming, Young Virgil, no one else - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:00:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28098075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDeviantSentByJericho/pseuds/TheDeviantSentByJericho
Summary: I'm not sure what happened i'm sorry-Virgil is scared.His dad is there for him.
Relationships: Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders
Comments: 7
Kudos: 61





	Bruises

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [We'll Carry On](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20145283) by [shnuffeluv](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shnuffeluv/pseuds/shnuffeluv). 



> this is fanfic of of the fanfic "We'll Carry On'' by shnuffeluv (i think that's how it's spelled) and um. it's way angstier than that XD but it ends well i swear!

Virgil loved his dads, and honestly? He trusted them too.

But this, this was something he didn't even want Patton, his twin brother, to know. He didn't want _anyone_ to know! Patton would be so upset, especially if-

Especially if his worst fears came true.

Because as much as Virgil trusted his dads, as much as he loved them, he couldn't shake the feeling that what had happened to him was his fault. 

Therapy had taught him a lot, and he knew _logically_ that he couldn't help it! They couldn't help it! And if it wasn't Patton's fault, which it **wasn't,** then it couldn't be his either.

But what if it was?

And anyway, he couldn't help it! 

Sometimes, when he was panicking, when his anxiety got too much to bear and none of his usual coping mechanisms were working or he'd forgotten what they were he- he would hit himself. As hard as he could. The pain helped clear his head, and there was something satisfying about the bruises that formed. 

But...

Ami and Dad both hated Charles, for hurting them. They were angry and upset that the twins were hurt. 

Even though Virgil didn't quite understand why, he knew his dads didn't like it when he was hurt. And he bruised _himself._ He hurt himself!

Virgil bruised Virgil. Charles bruised Virgil. His dads hated Charles.

If they found out, his dads would hate Virgil too.

So, Virgil made sure they'd never find out. 

Fortunately, that didn't go well. 

They were in the middle of movie night when Virgil felt himself starting to panic. Something was wrong. There was too much, too much, too much, they were fighting, and it was too much, and it was wrong, wrong, wrong, _wrong!_

Creeping carefully to avoid making a fuss, Virgil made his way out of the room, fielding off concerned looks from both dads and his brother. He was fine, he was _fine,_ he _was,_ he just needed a little time alone, that was all!

It wasn't enough.

He couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't, couldn't, couldn't! He could feel the hands on him again, Charles' words and Patton's warmth that had kept him silent. 

Flashes of all the times it wasn't enough pushed themselves into his brain. Virgil whimpered.

_If he hadn't been there, Patton wouldn't have gotten hurt._

Pushing at the bruises turned into making new ones. 

One hit became two.

It wasn't enough.

It wasn't _enough_ why wasn't it _enough_ and suddenly the hands on him were different, were real, were holding his wrists and keeping him still. 

A voice told him to breathe, and it sounded like love.

A voice told him to breathe, and it sounded like safety.

Minutes later, Virgil was sobbing into Emile's shoulder.

"You're safe now," he soothed, rocking the child lightly. "We love you."

To his surprise, Virgil pulled away, tears still flowing despite his desperate attempts to keep himself under control. "B-but you saw!"  
  


The dad frowned. "I'm not mad at you, Virgil," he said, kindly.

"But! But I'm just like him!" Virgil wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Just like who, Vee?"

"Like- Like _Charles!"_

The sobbing began anew, and this time, it didn't seem like there was anything Emile could do to stop it.

They missed the rest of the movie, sitting on the floor of the twins' room together. Some noises had come by the door, but no one had come in- Emile was pretty sure Remy was to credit for that. He smiled quietly to himself, before sobering. They needed to talk about this.

"Virgil sweetie, can you look at me?"

Nervously, he did.

"Virgil, I'm not mad at you. No one is going to be mad at you. Okay?"

The boy glanced away and didn't respond.

Emile sighed.

"You aren't like him, I promise. And you're not going to turn into him."

"How do you know?" Virgil's voice was soft, delicate, vulnerable.

"Because you don't want to be. Because it hurts you." Emile spoke simply, calmly, trying not to let onto the amount of pain he was actually feeling. "Because you hurt _you,_ and not anybody else."

He held up a finger, in case Virgil was tempted to protest. "That's not to say hurting yourself is okay. It's not. But it's not a failing on your behalf, and we're not going to judge or hate you for it, okay?"

"Then... then what _are_ you going to do?"

"We're going to help you."


End file.
